You Must Buy This 1991 Alfa Romeo SZ

Lots of people decry the Alfa Romeo SZ, the 1989 collaboration between the Italian automaker and design house Zagato, as being ugly. They're missing the point entirely. No, the SZ isn't beautiful like, say, a Ferrari 250 GT Lusso is, but it is striking. And that's what Zagato was best at—cars that took the design language of their time to the extreme, making incredible statements.

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With just over 1000 SZ coupes built (plus fewer than 300 "RZ" roadsters), finding one for sale is a rare treat. This 1991 example, #946, is up for auction on Bring a Trailer with two days of bidding left at the time of writing.

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But before we can talk about the SZ any more, we must get in the mood. For that, turn your attention to Zagato's official promo video for the SZ that I just found on YouTube. It is excatly as good as you think it is.

Done watching? Cool. Now, let's get nerdy.

The SZ was penned by Robert Opron, the French genius behind Citroen's DS and SM, and features a chassis derived from Alfa's Group A 75 race car with adjustable ride height. Under the hood lives a 210-hp 3.0-liter V6 created by one of the greatest engine designers to ever live, Giuseppe Busso. The engine was mated to a five-speed transaxle, and makes a sound better than pretty much any other V6 you can think of.

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Like every other SZ, this example wears Rosso Alfa exterior paint, with a contrasting black roof and tan interior. It was recently imported from Japan, and it looks like it's in nice shape.

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The SZ is one of Alfa's most misunderstood cars, but arguably, it's the best of its time. A loud declaration of brilliance and weirdness before Alfa abandoned rear-wheel drive and slowly lost its identity to corporate parent Fiat.

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